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Nature Discovery Center

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 Vail, 81657

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About

The Nature Discovery Center is Walking Mountains Science Center's outpost at the top of the Eagle Bahn Gondola on Vail Mountain: a yurt beside the Eagle's Nest building, filled with natural history exhibits and hands-on activities about the animals that live around it, from ravens and weasels to lynx and black bears. Admission is free, and the naturalists who staff it lead free walks from the door.

It suits families who have ridden the gondola and want something calmer than the coaster next door, curious kids, and anyone who would like to know what they are looking at on a mountain walk. All ages are welcome.

Getting there

There is no road up. Park at the Lionshead parking structure (I-70 exit 176, then west on South Frontage Road), walk to the Eagle Bahn Gondola (#19) in Lionshead, and ride to the top. The center is free, but the gondola is not: you need a valid ski pass in winter or a scenic ride ticket from Vail Resorts in summer, and Walking Mountains notes that it has no say over those prices. When the gondola is not running, the center is closed.

Walks and snowshoe tours

In summer, Walking Mountains runs an Easy Nature Hike, a relaxed guided stroll for all ages about local plants, wildlife and ecology, and a Moderate Nature Hike above 10,000 feet for ages 12 and up. In winter the program switches to a free guided snowshoe tour about wildlife and winter adaptations; Walking Mountains lists it as resuming in December 2026. Register through the Walking Mountains events calendar; times are in the FAQ below.

Also at the top of the gondola

Epic Discovery, Vail's summer activity park, and the restaurants of Eagle's Nest, including Bistro 14, share the same stop, so the center fits easily into a gondola day. Back in the valley, Walking Mountains also runs the Vail Nature Center by Gore Creek.

Sources: Walking Mountains: Nature Discovery Center, Naturalist guided tours, Easy Nature Hike. Checked September 24, 2026.

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Nature Discovery Center
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Top of Eagle Bahn Gondola (#19), Vail Mountain
Vail, 81657

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About Nature Discovery Center

Quick answer: Nature Discovery Center is an attraction at Top of Eagle Bahn Gondola (#19), Vail Mountain, Vail, CO 81657. Walking Mountains' free nature center in a yurt atop the Eagle Bahn Gondola: wildlife exhibits, guided nature hikes and winter snowshoe tours.

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The Nature Discovery Center is Walking Mountains Science Center's outpost at the top of the Eagle Bahn Gondola on Vail Mountain: a yurt beside the Eagle's Nest building, filled with natural history exhibits and hands-on activities about the animals that live around it, from ravens and weasels to lynx and black bears. Admission is free, and the naturalists who staff it lead free walks from the door.

It suits families who have ridden the gondola and want something calmer than the coaster next door, curious kids, and anyone who would like to know what they are looking at on a mountain walk. All ages are welcome.

Getting there

There is no road up. Park at the Lionshead parking structure (I-70 exit 176, then west on South Frontage Road), walk to the Eagle Bahn Gondola (#19) in Lionshead, and ride to the top. The center is free, but the gondola is not: you need a valid ski pass in winter or a scenic ride ticket from Vail Resorts in summer, and Walking Mountains notes that it has no say over those prices. When the gondola is not running, the center is closed.

Walks and snowshoe tours

In summer, Walking Mountains runs an Easy Nature Hike, a relaxed guided stroll for all ages about local plants, wildlife and ecology, and a Moderate Nature Hike above 10,000 feet for ages 12 and up. In winter the program switches to a free guided snowshoe tour about wildlife and winter adaptations; Walking Mountains lists it as resuming in December 2026. Register through the Walking Mountains events calendar; times are in the FAQ below.

Also at the top of the gondola

Epic Discovery, Vail's summer activity park, and the restaurants of Eagle's Nest, including Bistro 14, share the same stop, so the center fits easily into a gondola day. Back in the valley, Walking Mountains also runs the Vail Nature Center by Gore Creek.

Sources: Walking Mountains: Nature Discovery Center, Naturalist guided tours, Easy Nature Hike. Checked September 24, 2026.

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Amenities at Nature Discovery Center

  • Natural-history exhibits
  • Interactive activities
  • Naturalist staff
  • Free guided hikes
  • Free snowshoe tours
  • Hiking poles available
  • Restrooms at Eagle's Nest

Frequently Asked Questions

Does it cost anything?
Admission to the Nature Discovery Center is free, and so are its guided nature hikes and snowshoe tours. The cost of getting there is the gondola: every visitor needs a valid ski pass, lift ticket, or Epic Pass in winter, or a Vail Scenic Ride Ticket in summer, sold by Vail Resorts. Walking Mountains does not set or sell those pass prices.
Where is the Nature Discovery Center, and how do I get there?
In a yurt at the top of the Eagle Bahn Gondola (#19) on Vail Mountain, next to the Eagle's Nest building. There is no road up: park at the Lionshead parking structure (take I-70 exit 176 and head west on South Frontage Road), walk to the Eagle Bahn Gondola in Lionshead, and ride to the top. The center is open only when the gondola is operating.
Is the Nature Discovery Center the same as the Vail Nature Center?
No, they are two different Walking Mountains facilities. This one is the mountaintop yurt at the top of the Eagle Bahn Gondola by Eagle's Nest. The Vail Nature Center is a separate site in the valley: a 1940s homestead on Gore Creek at 601 Vail Valley Drive, reached by road and bus, which was closed for the summer 2026 season for Town of Vail site improvements. Check which one you mean before you set out; they share an operator, not a location.
When is it open?
Seasonally, and only when the gondola is running, Walking Mountains publishes its hours one season window at a time. The most recent published window was fall: Friday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., September 11 to 27, 2026. Winter hours for the center had not been published as of late October 2026; its winter snowshoe tours resume in December 2026. Check walkingmountains.org or call (970) 827-9725 before you ride up.
What is inside the center?
Natural-history exhibits and interactive, hands-on activities about the wildlife that lives around the mountaintop, ravens, weasels, lynx, black bears, and more. Naturalists staff the yurt and lead the free walks that depart from it. All ages are welcome.
What guided hikes are offered in summer?
Two free hikes, both departing from the center and both requiring registration. The Easy Nature Hike (Wednesday to Sunday, 1 to 2 p.m.) is a relaxed stroll for all ages, about three quarters of a mile on a mostly flat dirt trail, about local plants, wildlife, and ecology. The Moderate Nature Hike (Wednesday to Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to noon, ages 12 and up) covers about a mile with several hundred feet of climbing and descending above 10,000 feet, and is Walking Mountains' most strenuous free guided hike. Register through the Walking Mountains events calendar; a scenic gondola pass is required to reach the start.
Is there a winter program?
Yes. Walking Mountains runs a free guided snowshoe tour from the Nature Discovery Center, a scenic, educational walk about wildlife, ecology, and winter adaptations. It resumes in December 2026; check the events calendar for dates and register there. You will need a valid ski pass, lift ticket, Epic Pass, or scenic ride ticket to ride the gondola up.
What should I bring for a first visit?
Everything here happens above 10,000 feet. For the guided hikes, Walking Mountains asks you to come with water, sturdy hiking boots, an extra layer or rain jacket, sunscreen, and sunglasses, and to allow an hour for the Easy hike or an hour and a half for the Moderate. Hiking poles are available at the center, and restrooms are in the Eagle's Nest building next door.
Who runs the Nature Discovery Center?
Walking Mountains Science Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit natural-science education organization. Call (970) 827-9725 or email [email protected].

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